Thursday, May 31, 2012

It’s often difficult to give an honest opinion. Sometimes it’s
even harder to take one. When I was a senior grad student, a good friend once
shared with me a personal essay he had written on how he developed a passion for
chemistry. He asked me to give my honest critique. I felt privileged to be
given a chance to read something personal. I found a quiet place to sit down
and carefully read what I had been given. Much like you might expect from a
piece written by an accomplished young chemist, the essay was methodical and precise.
I saw words on a page that had structure and correct grammar, but for me personally,
the passion and drive I was hoping to read about was lacking.

I called him up,
anxious to discuss with him how he could improve it. I had made many points
along the margins. I had ideas on how he could sharpen his focus, get to the
heart of the matter, touch his audience etc. I thought he would be thrilled to
hear these things from me. I had, after all, taken the time out of my busy day
to focus on his personal piece. Wrong! My responses, both positive and negative
were met with a cold rejection. He had no intention of editing it, he didn’t
care to expose any further passion, it was his truth, who was I to challenge
any part of it? We’re all like that at times.When we've worked hard on
something, when I have a connection to something, it’s tough to admit that
others might be able to help improve it.

This month, we asked you (i.e., graduate students and
postdocs, administrators etc.) to give your honest opinion on how the ACS Graduate & Postdoctoral Scholars
Bulletin might be improved (see http://tinyurl.com/7qdqhzb – opened until June 4). Because we
are passionate about our work – providing and promoting resources, articles,
career advice, funding sources, professional development, and networking
opportunities etc. to you, the graduate and postdoctoral scholars (GPS)
community, it isn’t always easy to take critique and feedback. However, your
feedback is essential to helping us reach you more effectively. For this
reason, I promise that we will personally digest each comment and response you
leave, and that we will seriously consider your feedback as we move forward. If
you happen to see this post past the June 4th survey deadline and
you have an idea or advice to contribute regarding the Bulletin, please contact
us at GradEd@acs.org.